A dull, persistent ache lingered in Kael's spine as he sat upright. Though his wounds had vanished without a trace, the echo of pain still haunted his nerves like the final notes of a tragic song. He stared ahead, dazed, breath unsteady, heart pounding as if it had been chasing death itself.
Rain tapped gently on the stone around him, soft and cold. The ancient tree at the center of the clearing shimmered faintly, its silver leaves whispering secrets he couldn't quite hear. Somewhere between reality and dream, he had returned. But something was different. Something within him had shifted—uncoiled.
Then he saw it.
A faint pulse of light hovered in his vision, like a glowing strand suspended midair. It didn't belong to the world around him. It responded to his thoughts.
Focus.
The strand unfolded.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING…]
Seed of Renewal successfully integrated.
Status core awakening… complete.
Access granted to Root Interface.
Kael recoiled slightly, blinking. The panel hovered quietly, unblinking and still. No one else was around. No mage, no trick. It was in him.
He thought the words, not said aloud, but as if pulled from a whisper in his mind:
Open Root Interface.
[ROOT INTERFACE - Version 0.1]
User: Kael Vire
Age: 17
Race: Human
Status: Root Awakening
System Type: Growth-Based Evolution
Core Alignment: Unknown
Energy State: Dormant (Initiation Phase)
Available Modules:
→ Status
→ Inventory
→ Quests
→ Skills (Locked)
→ Traits
→ System Guide
Kael stared.
It wasn't just strange—it was impossible. Systems were myths told by warlords and wanderers who spent too many nights in blood-soaked camps. But this was no tale. The panel shimmered with a steady light, waiting.
With a hesitant breath, he thought:
Open Status.
[STATUS PANEL]
Name: Kael Vire
Level: 1
Title: The Rootless
Health: 100/100
Energy: 5/50
Regeneration: Very Low
Strength: 4
Agility: 5
Endurance: 4
Willpower: 9
Perception: 6
Luck: ???
Affinity: Unknown
Special Trait:
[Seed of Renewal]
A primordial force bound to your core. Awakens new potential upon death or near-death. Evolves through survival, choice, and struggle.
Kael's brow furrowed.
Everything about this was absurd—and yet… the more he stared, the more a strange clarity settled into him. A part of him had always felt like something was missing. Like he was out of step with the world, living a story he hadn't chosen. Now, perhaps, he was finally at the beginning of something real.
A soft chime rang.
[New Quest Available]
Title: First Roots
Type: Foundation
Description: You have awakened the Seed. Take your first conscious step with it.
Objective: Use one System function actively.
Reward: Unlock System Guide, +10 Energy
Kael blinked.
Quests? Rewards?
There were no books in the village archives that spoke of this kind of system. Not in detail. There were rumors from far-off lands about chosen ones and ancient forces, but they were always legends. People like him—farmers, orphans, laborers—they were never chosen.
He took a breath, feeling the damp air settle in his lungs.
Open Inventory.
[INVENTORY]
Slot 1: Rusted Dagger [Physical - Basic]
Slot 2: Torn Map (Unreadable)
Slot 3: ???
Slot 4: Empty
Slot 5: Empty
The dagger appeared in his hand with a shimmer of air, as if pulled from behind a veil. He gripped it instinctively. It was light, barely sharp enough to cut cleanly, but it was real.
Another chime.
[Quest Complete: First Roots]
Reward granted:
→ System Guide Unlocked
→ +10 Energy (Current: 15/50)
Kael exhaled slowly.
It was real. All of it.
Yet even with the discovery, a chill ran along his skin. If this was a gift, it was too powerful to come without a price.
He stood, gazing once more at the sacred tree. The rain had softened, but the silence remained. Even the birds and wind seemed cautious, as though the forest itself waited to see what he would become.
He opened the System Guide, hoping for answers.
[SYSTEM GUIDE - EXCERPT]
The Seed of Renewal is a living system. It is not bound by traditional power hierarchies. It adapts, evolves, and shifts based on the host's will, environment, and mortal choices. Unlike static systems, this Seed grows through death, resistance, and survival. It has only one directive: Grow.
Root Users are rare. You are unbound. You may carve your path. But be warned: The deeper the root, the darker the soil.
Kael read the words twice.
Unbound. Carve your path. That wasn't a promise. It was a warning.
But something in him stirred—not fear, not anymore.
Determination.
He wasn't just a boy with nothing. He wasn't just someone left to die in the forest. He was something else now. Maybe not stronger. Not yet. But connected to something that refused to break.
The wind picked up. A trail appeared between the trees—a path he hadn't seen before. Narrow, winding, but deliberate. The system pulsed faintly in his vision.
He had a choice.
He could return to the village, try to live as before.
Or…
He stepped forward.
[New Passive Activated: Pathfinder]
You have taken your first step as a Root-Bound soul. Minor resistance to fear and disorientation in unknown terrain.
Kael didn't smile. Not yet. But his hands no longer trembled.
The Seed had chosen him. Or maybe... it had simply awakened when he chose not to give up.
He didn't know what lay ahead, or how deep this path would go.
But he walked it.
Root first.